The Spirit and the Spell
by Star A. Nobel
Summary: My freshly written novel, The Spirit and the Spell, is full of friendship, romance, action, and deception. Caution: Only read if you're looking for a great story.
1. The Announcement

"I can't believe he asked you. I never would have thought you two would be together," a small Elvin girl said, looking up at her friend and giggling, "I mean, he's not really who I thought you would end up with." She was sitting on her friend's downy bed, holding a large, downy pillow.

Scythera waved her hand, dismissing the doubter's thought, "He is who I love, Azurae, and if I am to be with him, I shall." Her eyes showed a hint of fear, but it soon faded away to be replaced with the happiness of someone who had just got engaged.

The other Elvin woman walked over to Scythera and placed her pearl-white hands on her shoulders. Her emerald-green eyes pierced straight into the big blue ones. "Now, do not do something you may regret. We are both happy that he asked you to marry him, but you have 'loved' many guys and…"

Azurae leaped up from her place on the bed, interrupting her friend, "Blisse is right. And you know, Marmar is not the brightest star in the sky."

Scythera's face seemed to soften with a hint of laughter. "Marmar? Is that his nickname now?" She shook the pale hands from her shoulders and strode over to her bed, the hem of her dress flowing around her knees like water.

"Of course! We can't go around calling him Marmarik," Azurae enunciated his name for emphasis, "That's too formal." She sat back down, crossing her legs, "We just do not want to see you get hurt, again."

The green-eyed Elf nodded in agreement, "She's right.. We both love you and we would hate to have to kill him. We just want to see you happy." She smiled with sympathy toward her friend who she thought was confused with her decision.

The newly-engaged sighed, reaching a hand up to brush strands of light brown hair from her face. "I am happy with him. We are getting married and that's that." Turning to both of her good friends she asked, "Will you two, kindly enough, be present at my side on that special day?"

"Who do you think we are? Of course we will!" Azurae said with a little too much excitement.

"Scy, if you want, I can make your dress. I am great with the thread and needle, as you know. I could also have Hash find me some fabric."

Filling with happiness, Scythera said, "Blisse, that would be wonderful. We could go over what I want in the days to come, yes? And Zura, you could help pick flowers the day before. We could also hold it out by the lake. You know, the one where Marmarik and I spent our first day together."

"Yes, yes. I can do that," she said as her friend then turned to Blisse and continued to discuss wedding plans. Her mind started to drift, thinking less about Scy's good-fortune and more about her own faults with love. "But enough talk about weddings and such. I'm tired of it." Tilting her head down, she pursed her lips before she could say more.

Hearing the similar pain in her friend's voice that she had heard for months, she said,"Dear, what's the matter?" Blisse sat on the bed and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, "Please tell us."

"It's nothing, really. Ryon has just done one of his disappearing adventures. I have not seen him in days." Sighing quietly, she blinked back tears and asked, "Do you think he's all right?"

Scythera stood up and strode over to her wooden vanity. She chose a small glass container before opening it up and pouring a small amount of the clear, blue liquid on her hand, "He is not worth your time if he's going to disappear and not tell you where he's going. If he upsets you this much, you can find someone better who will actually care more about your feelings than his own." As she said this, she dabbed the liquid on her wrists and a small bit of it on the nape of her neck.

"There are so many other guys out there who are so much better for you; Elvin men who actually want to be with you. I've heard a lot of talk around the city about how you would make an excellent wife." The bright red lips on Blisse's face curved up into a kind smile, "I'm sure we could go find some right now!"

Azurae shrugged her shoulders saying, "I love him, though. I could never leave him for someone else."

"How do you know that he's not seeing someone else? And you would not be leaving him, just looking at your other choices. What is the harm in that?" While quickly braiding her hair into a loose braid that hung to the middle of her back, Scy said, "What he doesn't know, won't hurt him, right?"

"It's not like that. I promised that I would stay faithful."

Blisse stood, raising her eyebrows. She looked over her friend as she asked, "And did he promise you this same thing?"

Feeling even more upset, she looked up at her friends, sighing, "Of course he did. He loves me just as much as I love him. And that is why he is not seeing someone else." She shot Scythera a heinous look before she slid off of the bed and looked at herself in the old mirror, trying to fix some part of her outfit; a wrinkle here and there or dust that had gathered from walking on the path. She was wearing a skirt, crafted by Blisse, that went to her knees, its pink hue complementing the soft silken fabric shirt that showed off her curves. The lilac hair, hair that had gotten her so many stares, framed her face and fell in waves down her back. "He loves me…"

Sighing while slightly annoyed, Scy gave up on the subject. "Well, okay. Whatever you feel is right, Zura," she said and looked at the two of her friends, "Now you two need to get out of my house. I have a date with my man."

The two others looked at each other and rolled their eyes, forgetting the previous subject. They were both thinking the same thing: this 'date' was most likely not with her husband-to-be. "Okay, okay. We'll just head to the city. Is that all right with you, Zura?"

Shaking her head with a small look of sadness in her eyes, she said, "I was going to head back to my home for a bit and freshen up. I could always meet you somewhere, later."

Blisse nodded, her short, pixie-cut blonde hair reflecting the light. "That sounds good. We could always meet-" she paused then shook her head, "Now that I think of it; I have somewhere to go, this evening. Sorry!"

Shrugging slightly, trying not to show her relief, Azurae said, "No worries, Blisse. I just wanted to stay home tonight, anyway." She said her goodbyes and then made her way through Scy's small home and walked out into the dusk.

Blisse smiled to Scythera before following Azurae out through the door. She turned and said back to Scythera, "Have fun tonight, even though I know you will." She laughed, her laughter was a soft chorus of bells, turning back around and walking along the beaten dirt path.

Rolling her eyes, Scythera shut the heavy wooden door after her friends had went on their way.


	2. Close Call

**_Azurae_**

She was quietly walking through the tall, thick trees, stepping over rocks that were out of place, and listening to the running water of a stream nearby. Her long legs complemented the short, beautifully trimmed skirt that she wore along with the loose shirt that was the color of the setting sun.

Azurae paused; her fingers ran over the bark of a nearby tree, loving the feel of the nature around her. She tilted her head towards the sky, her hair falling in soft ripples down her back, and breathed in the fresh scent of the forest.

It smelled of pine and wild flowers; the familiar scent filling her entire self, reminding her of laughter and happiness. It also gave her a sense of belonging; of love and of care. The forest seemed to welcome her with open arms.

The light from the moon made her vanilla-colored skin look even more radiant and her azure eyes stood out distinctively on her face. Even though she felt calm, her soft pink lips were pursed in a straight line; she was obviously in need of something.

She missed the walks with Ryon; the way his black hair stood out against the green of the trees and the way his eyes sparkled when he would look at her. She was longing for the way his lips felt against her skin, soft and seductive... the way his hands would brush away hair from her face and how his arms held her close.

She especially loved the way she felt when she was with him. Ryon could make her giddy with pleasure and he could make her feel like she is the most important girl in the world. With that cute little look on his face when she caught him trying to sneak into her home one night; it made her smile at the thought.

She sighed when she thought of all of this. Where was he? _He has only been gone for a fortnight. Get a hold of yourself, Zura._

After finally coming to the door to her home, she paused. It was beautifully crafted out of the finest Elvin wood in the forest. It had majestic flowers carved out along the edges and little carved jewels that made it seem the wood, itself, was glowing. She reached out to push the door open. When she did this, a small folded piece of paper slid from the door frame and onto the forest floor.

Curious, Azurae bent over to pick it up and found that it did not have a name on the outside. She sighed quietly and suddenly felt uneasy; she was afraid of what it might say. She went inside her home and walked to the closet chair.

The chair was large, and she sank into it when she sat down. A soft reminder of who had sat here many times before made her smile. He would be home soon; she knew it and she could spend all of her time with him.

Opening up the letter, she knew who it was from right when she saw the handwriting; Ryon. Azurae quickly unfolded the letter and read it; having to read it twice just to be sure of what it said.

_My Dearest Azurae,  
I'm sorry I cannot be with you at this time. It seems as though as if I have more duties than my fellow elves. You are probably wondering where I am. I am so very sorry that I cannot tell you and that I cannot say when I will come back home. Take care of yourself._  
Cormamin niuve tenna' ta elea lle au'_  
Ryon Filvendor_

Azurae stared in disbelief at the letter from her love. She swallowed back tears and set the piece of parchment on the table next to her. "How can he do this to me? How?" _Why can he not tell me where he is?_

She stood shakily and made her way to her room in a daze, not really acknowledging where she was going. She changed into a sleeping gown, lit a candle, and slipped beneath the covers of her bed, wishing for her life to be different.

**_Scythera_**

Scythera put the finishing touches on her makeup and brushed off her dress. It was a beautiful flowing garment that was cut at her knees and the straps were tied at the back of her neck. The gold designs seemed to burst from the silky, sky blue hue.

Small strands of hair framed her angelic face, her piercing gold eyes stood out distinctively, and red lips were curved into a smirk. "He is going to be happy to be with _me_, tonight."

A loud knock on the door came from the small sitting room almost immediately after she finished touching-up her lipstick. She smiled at herself in the mirror, making sure she looked perfect, and went to go get the door. When she opened it, her smiled changed into a grin. "_Nae saian lumme'_ Hash."

The man nodded, his muscles rippling with even just this slight movement, "Ah, yes. You are right, Scy. It has been _too_ long." He smirked as his dark eyes moved over the woman in front of him.

Hash's long ebony hair was pulled back so Scythera could see the muscles in his neck straining. She thought about why he would be stressed, but then brushed it off and giggled lightly. "Oh, Hash." She batted her eyelashes at him, being overly dramatic.

Strong arms wrapped Scythera up into a hug as Hash's lips found hers. They stood there in the doorway for a long while, Hash's hand moving down Scythera's back in a caressing motion. Scythera reached up and found his collar, her fingers moving down to unbutton the buttons. Hash shook off his shirt once she was finished.

A low growl escaped from the back of Hash's throat, grabbing at her shirt, trying to rip it from off her. He felt Scythera's body stiffen against him and he pulled away, looking down at her and asked, "_Lle tyava quel?_"

Scythera looked up at him, her eyes confused, "_Uma_. I'm fine." She grins before lightly kissing him, "Marmarik proposed." She said this as if she were just invited to attend dinner with her "loving" family.

A flash of anger crossed Hash's eyes. "He proposed to you? Do you know what could happen if we were caught together? Do you, Scy?" He let go of her, taking a few steps back. He didn't wait for a response. "You don't, do you? I could easily be captured and sentenced to death. You are his now, Scy. I cannot be with you-" he scowled, "Sneak around with you, rather."

Scythera's mouth dropped, "What do you mean? Why?" she said as she blinked, clearly confused, "How could this happen?"

"You belong to him! If he catches us- if anyone catches us- I could die, and possibly so could you." He looked at her, his dark eyes filled with frustration, "I will not be killed for some ignorant female."

She took a step back as if she had been hit. How was she suppose to know what could happen? Hash was not her only lover, but he seemed to think so.

"How long have you kept this from me?"

"H-he just proposed yesterday! I didn't know this would hurt you so much. I thought we could be together…"

Hash let out a loud, echoing laugh, "You _thought_ we could be together?" He scoffed and stared directly into her eyes, "You, of all people think that I am hurt? You actually _thought_ that I care about you? Well you thought wrong, Scy. We will never _ever_ do this again and I am _not_ hurt; I am extremely appalled at the thought of ever being with some _whore_. We have already been caught once, what a mess that was, and yet you _think_ we could be 'together'?"

"_Amin feuya ten' lle! _I didn't know! Why do you blame me for all of this?"

"Because _you_ are the one who did not tell me! And did you actually think this would last forever?" He was consumed with so much anger that he had to stop himself from hitting her.

Scythera flinched, tears filling her eyes, "Hash… I want to be with you..." She looked up at him, her eyes filled with hurt, her heart actually breaking.

"We will not be together; never again. This is not good between us. I did not want to settle with you, anyway." Hash turned to leave but he came face-to-face with Marmarik. _Shit._

Marmarik's eyes seemed to cut through Hash. "Have I missed something important?" He turned to Scythera. She cringed as he laid his eyes upon her, "Is there something I need to know?"

Hash shook his head, saying, "No, there is absolutely nothing that you need to know. Well, maybe there is. But you should ask that wench." He nodded in the woman's direction, "You will never have to worry about me being anywhere near here, again. I shall leave you two with your business." He pushed pass the skeptical man and quickly made his way away from them, fading off into the distance.

Marmarik looked down at the fallen shirt and then at Scythera, his eyes filled with fire, "Is there something that I should know about, Scythera?" He watched as she fidgeted with her hands before speaking.

"No, Marmarik, there is not. He is just an arrogant fool who means nothing."

He nodded, wishing he could believe this, "Are you positive? He means nothing to you?"

Scythera swallowed, closing the gap between them, saying, "Of course, _melamin_, you are the one I love and the one I want to be with forever. How could you think of anything else?" She stood on her toes so she could kiss his lips, but she could feel his hesitation, "Please believe me." She wrapped her arms around his neck, "Trust me," she whispered, still in shock of what just happened.

Marmarik took her into his arms, his lips gently pressing against hers, he whispered, "Do you promise, with all of your heart, that I am the one for you?"

"_Amin mela lle_; I love you. With all of my heart and my soul, you are the one for me and you always will be, Marmarik." Scythera kept her thoughts to herself as she said this, trying to regain Marmarik's trust.

"I love you too, Scythera, and that is why we must marry at once. We cannot wait."

She looked up at him, confusion and anger filling her eyes once more. She questioned him, "At once? Will I not have time to plan my own wedding?"

"The sooner, the better, Scythera." Marmarik held her close to him, "This is what you want, yes? You said yourself I was the one for you. So, we should not have to wait to become one."

"I believe you are right, my love. I just wanted to..."

Marmarik nodded, cutting her short, and ignoring her request as his hands slid through the braid in his love's hair, undoing it and letting it flow freely. He then kissed the top of her head before dropping his voice to a whisper, "Why was he here, Scythera? You know that I do not trust him. What he has done in the past, it is a surprise that he has not been killed already."

He felt her tense in his arms, "Tell me, my love. Why was he here?" he prodded.

Scythera thought for a moment's time, "He was here… to congratulate us on our engagement." She held her breath, waiting for his response, trying to come up with another excuse if he pursued the topic.

Marmarik nodded his head slowly, once more, not believing this, "And is that all? It did not seem to me that he was at all pleased when he left here. And what did he say? Oh yes, that you two will never be together. What did he mean by that?"

Scythera shrugged her shoulders, letting her breath out and pretending not to care "Why should I know? I have never been with the man before this time today," she said and looked up at Marmarik, her lips turning into a sly smile. "But I would _absolutely_ love it if we were… You know…"

He let out a low laugh, even though he knew that they were together before, he bent his head down to kiss the one he felt so much for. His teeth pulled on her lips slightly, "If we were what..." He said before he kissed her again, pushing her back towards the back room, "Tell me…"

"How about I show you instead?"

Marmarik pushed her through the doorway, his hands already starting to pull off her clothes. He laughed again, shutting the door with a slam.


End file.
